RISSAY_ARCHITECTURE | CONSTRUCTION

Complete Audio Immersion

It is time to change how you listen to music in your home.  No more having different devices that can’t communicate with each other.  No more plugging your laptop into the speakers in your office, then turning that off and settling for what’s in your CD player when you move to living room.  More and more often people are opting for multi-room audio systems.  Today, we’ll be telling you more about Sonos, the best multi-room audio system we have encountered yet.  We have installed it in several of our projects and more people keep requesting it.

Sonos is a truly customizable multi-room system.  You can simply have two rooms/zones or up to 32!  It is entirely your choice.  With its wireless capabilities (you also have the option to hardwire) it is extremely easy to add more zones on at a later date if you choose to expand.  Essentially, Sonos allows you to play music on every zone, either all at once or one zone at a time.  You can have a rock song playing in your living room, classical in the kitchen, and radio in the bathroom at the same time, all from one control.  You also have the option of having all the zones playing the same song at once, so you never miss a beat while moving throughout your home.  The Sonos control is extremely user friendly with its LCD display.  It is easy to navigate and highly intuitive.  You can also download a free app for your iPhone, iPad, or PC.  The control of your audio is nearly endless.

The music options compatible with Sonos are also nearly limitless, as you can play any song on your computer, network attached hard drive, over 100,000 free radio stations, shows, podcasts, as well as music subscription services, such as Rhapsody or Pandora, as well as any other external audio source.   The Sonos system has several different “Zone Players.”  They can be tied into any existing audio equipment you have, utilizing your existing speakers or you can get a completely stand-alone Zone Player, which includes a 5 driver speaker system (5 digital amplifiers, 2 tweeters, 2 mid-range drivers, and 1 subwoofer.  The stand-alone Zone Players are perfect for rooms that you don’t want to add new built-in speakers to. 

Sonos is truly a phenomenal multi-room audio system.  It will forever change how you experience audio in your home for the better.  You’ll never want to part with it and with its wireless capabilities, you won’t ever have to, as you would be able to pack up the entire system and bring it with you if you ever move.    With the ability to effortlessly add on additional zones over time, it’s easy to get started with a simple starter bundle.  I guarantee though, once you try it, you’ll be hooked and want to expand Sonos to your whole house.  Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have!

Are You Ready For Winter?

Cold weather is upon us, my friends.  It’s inevitable, it comes every year.  Now it’s time to address it head on, as we did with one project located on Delancey Street.  One of the biggest culprits for letting in cold air is your entry door, both when it is open and closed.  First we replaced the entry with a new solid core door, weather stripping, and door sweep.  We also switched which side the door hinged, since previously when the door opened it allowed everyone to see clear through the whole house and even the rear yard.  Now with the hinges switched, you can only see the party wall and the staircase, which is by front of the door.  Much more private.  That was just the beginning.

The homeowner wished to add a vestibule, thus eliminating any gusts of cold air entering the living space when the entry door was opened.  Living in a large city, such as Philadelphia, how often have you double parked while you brought items, such as groceries in, leaving the front door open between trips?  How much heat is lost while getting the stroller up the stoop and in the front door?  We wished to eliminate all of this, while preserving the style and integrity of the home.  Your typical drywall partition would just not do, and would feel claustrophobic with the vast 10 foot ceiling.  We created a stunning 5’x5’ vestibule using custom, divided lite, stave core doors.  Given the temperature differentiation in a vestibule, stave core, is your best option, especially in this application with 10’ panels.  It is created from many smaller blocks of wood, much like a butcher block, thus it is much more rigid and unlikely to shrink or warp than your typical lumber.  For the door hardware we used top of the line, Rocky Mountain Hardware.  Even the side panels are operable with hidden soss hinges, which allow easy cleaning of the glass and beside the cabinets.  Within the vestibule itself, we installed electric radiant heat under new ultra durable porcelain tiles.  Radiant heat is a good option, which we consistently recommend, to heat any new tile surface, such as in a vestibule, bathroom, or basement. 

The combination of the new entry door and heated vestibule create the perfect buffer between the outside elements and the interior living space.  Other places where you might wish to address in preparation for the winter (as well as the summer with heat gain/AC loss) are your windows and insulation, all which Rissay can help you with.  Let us help you stay warm this winter season!

(Photo 1: Before,  Photos 2-4: After)

 

 

Open Floor Plan Dilemma

While open floor plans are very popular (and rightfully so), they often leave a homeowner asking one question: How do I create different spaces within, that have a true purpose and function.  This client, a young couple in their 20’s, that reside in a lovely home in Society Hill had that exact question.  The space itself had the potential, and they had already choosen wonderful furniture for the space as well.  The inherit problem being there was no differentiation between the spaces.  They wished to have the first room upon entry to be the casual TV room, while the room beyond would function as the formal sitting room for entertaining by the warm fire.  The two rooms flowed together seamlessly with no variation in texture, design, or aesthetics.

The simplest, but possibly the largest impact on the space was the new cased opening.  It physically denotes the change from the casual to the formal space, while still visually connecting the two rooms.  Within the formal sitting room, we really wished to appeal to the homeowners’ transitional style.  Custom wainscot panels were installed throughout the room creating an air of elegance.  Above the wainscotting you will find a luxorious grass cloth wall covering.  As for the fireplace, it received a new, custom mantle, as well as a Calcutta Gold Marble surround and Black Absolute hearth.  To your left as you enter the space, you will notice their new one-of-a-kind drybar that we designed and built 100% in house.  It features LED lights inside, which provide plenty of light, while never heating the drinks within.  The center panel drops down to form a countertop on which you can serve your drinks.  It also features a soft close mechanism to ensure that there is no slamming of the doors and rattling of the contents within. 

The sitting room has also been integrated with a Sonos system and in-wall speakers.  Sonos is a multi-room audio system that allows you to "play the same song in every room with perfect synchronicity or simultaneously play different songs in different rooms."  Sonos can play your entire music library, as well as internet radio stations & other music services, such as Rhapsody and Pandora.  It is easily controlled with a Sonos controller, iPhone, iPad or computer.  Finally the upgrading of the lighting greatly enhanced the space.  We also updated the trim kits on the existing recessed lights, as well as adding additional fixtures.  The new chandelier and wall sconces provide the eloquent finishing touch.  This room no longer lacks a separate identity from its counterpart  and is a formal sitting room that anyone would be proud to have guests visit. 

 

Ask us how Rissay can help personalize your home to match not only your needs, but your lifestyle!

( Photo 1: Before,  Photo 2 & 3: After )

Who doesn’t enjoy a fine bottle of wine?

Who doesn’t enjoy a fine bottle of wine?  Our one client definitely enjoys having a fine bottle of wine or better yet 1,395 bottles.  Ok, ok, he may not have that many bottles quite yet, but now that we have completed his new wine cellar (which can accommodate 1,395 bottles) I am sure his collection will eventually reach that number.  We didn’t want to merely store his wine collection, but to have it all on display. 

We designed a clean, sleek room with niches in the walls to truly emphasize the wine and not the space itself.  Transparency was an important design concept in this wine cellar.  Insulated glass double doors with narrow stiles provide entry into the room, while allowing you to see the entire collection at once.  One entire wall, 11 + feet, is floor to ceiling insulated glass that really allows you to see how vast the entire collection is.  Behind the glass are several free standing wine racks, with openings between every third rack, referencing the niches on the opposing wall.  Peering through the glass wall, freestanding racks, and the strategic openings provide a very nice layered appearance, while maximizing the space.

Once again we wanted to put the emphasis on the wine itself, so we decided to utilize Vintage View’s Platinum Series wine racks.  They are very minimal, streamlined metal racks that allow you to maximize your space, while storing the bottles on their side with the label facing you.  No more need to pull out every bottle in search of the one you want as you typically would with a bulky, rustic looking, wood rack design.  LED lights are mounted above all the racks to futher emphasize the ever important wine below.  The LEDs also do not produce heat, like most lights would, which could damage the wine.

Behind the walls is spray foam insulation which will keep the room at a constant temperature, as well as act as a vapor barrier.  The room also has its very own ducted cooling unit and humidifier.  Typically these units are within the wine cellar themselves, which can be loud and quite frankly an eyesore.  We strategically placed our cooling and humidifying unit in an adjoining storage closet with the air ducted into the wine cellar.  The humidifier used can fill the room with up to 80% humidity to ensure the corks never dry out, spoiling your wine (most units can only go as high as 60%, when its recommended wine is stored at 55 to 75%).

This is truly a wine cellar that a wine connoisseur could feel safe storing and displaying his collection in.  It is not just aesthetically beautiful, but also well constructed and highly efficient.   Please enjoy a few photos of the completed project below.  Additional photos, as well as renderings and progress photos will be added to the photo album on the right hand side in the upcoming days.

 

 

Renderings Help to Visualize Your Project

As great as drawings are to portray information, it is sometimes hard to visualize the final built project.  In addition to your typical design drawings, we can also create a 3D model of your future project.  Eliminate the hassle of trying to imagine what your project will look and see it for yourself before construction even gets started.  The level of detail in the 3D model can vary to fit any budget.

In the home pictured below, there is only one bathroom in the entire house.  The clients wish to add a powder room on the first floor for guests to use.  Their main concern was how much space of the existing dining room would it take and ultimately, what will it look like.  In the renderings below you can get an idea of the space.  The new powder room will be in the back corner.  It will have a transom above it, so the dining room can borrow light from the powder room window.  In the opposing corner will be a new coat closet.  New built in book cases are being added as well.  Between the bookcases, we are proposing a Reclaimed Redwood Iconic panel.  It would play nicely off the modern Danish furniture found throughout the house.  Their dining table and chairs were added to give scale to the room.

Summer is here and so is the peak renovation season.  So why wait?  No more excuses that you can't imagine what the final space will look like.  Contact us to help make your dream home become a reality.

Trinity- Completed Album

The Trinity- Completed Album is now up, and can be found on the right-hand side of the page.  There are some before & after photographs included in the album, but feel free to check out the Trinity- Existing Album to see how far the home has truly come.

Have a project of your own and wish to discuss it, feel free to call us at 215-713-0750 or e-mail us at [email protected]

Trinity Transformation Completed

The Trinity project that we spoke about in several previous posts is finally complete and has been photographed.  The only things remaining from the original home are the masonry walls, wood joists, and stairs.    The house had a very well built structure, but all of the interiors had been neglected for decades and needed a major overhaul, in both style and functionality.  Infrastructure wise, it received all new plumbing, electrical, lighting, doors, roof, drywall, windows, and insulation. 

The windows are all Low E II Argon filled to try to minimize heat loss/gain through the windows. The spray foam insulation could realize energy savings up to 60% greater than if traditional insulation was used.  The windows, entry door, and insulation all qualified for the federal tax credit.  It is important to check what qualifies when buying these materials.  As for the windows, by paying an extra $300 total to get the more energy efficient windows, the homeowner will get over a $1,000 credit on his taxes.

The home also received all new custom milled wood flooring, marble tile, counters, and fireplace surround, plumbing and lighting fixtures, furniture, tile, appliances, custom millwork, etc.  Scott and Jim built a custom entertainment center for first floor (1^st picture below), which also incorporates a coat closet, which the 1^st floor previously lacked. Since most full beds would not be able to get up the spiral stairs or 3^rd floor window, we asked Springhouse Woodshop to create a custom wood bed and nightstand for us.  The two pieces were expertly crafted, and most importantly the bed completely disassembled to get up stairs. 

As you can imagine, the small space and stairs was an issue throughout the project, but alas it is complete and the homeowner is enjoying his new home very much.  Below you can find a picture of the 1st floor custom entertainment center, as well as some before and after photos.  Check back soon for the “Trinity Completed” photo album to see the whole project!

Trinity- Before Pictures

So here's a little update about the Trinity project we previously wrote about in July when we first got the commission (Original Trinity Blog Post).  In case you don't remember, a Trinity gets its name from simply consisting of three floors and makes reference to the Father, Son & Holy Ghost.  For most projects such as a kitchen or bathroom, clients do not have to move out and we make the best accomendations possible for them. In this case, given the size of the home and the entire property being essentially rebuilt, the client had to temporarily move out.  To help ease this transition for our client, in this case a 60 year old male librarian, we found an apartment for him and even moved everything from his home to the apartment and storage unit we set up for him.  We always strive to make our clients as comfortable as possible with the whole renovation process.

So once we moved the client into his temporary apartment, demolition quickly went underway.  Literally just about everything is being replaced except for the masonry walls & joists.  All new flooring is going in, new bathroom, kitchen, drywall, heating & cooling, plumbing, electrical, lights, closets, millwork, roof, etc. To help you get some idea of what the Trinity looked like before and a little bit during demolition, we have added a new photo album on the right titled "Trinity- Existing".  Next week we'll be posting some photos of how the Trinity currently looks (with drywall, cabinets, countertops, tile, fireplace stone surround, etc), so be sure to check out the "Trinity-Existing" album first, so you can see how long of a way it has come.  Keep checking back as we continue to keep you updated on the project.

The Holidays Are Coming, Time To Show Off Your New Wet Bar!

So in the last entry we showcased a new fireplace and art centerpiece that we did for a client out in Phoenixville.  Our client wanted to spruce up their main living space not only with the warmth of the new fireplace, but with the addition of a new wet bar.  They are huge wine enthusiasts and their next project is a full wine cellar, which of course we are designing for them.  The wine cellar will be in the basement, so of course they would still love to have access to some of their collection on the main floor.

There was a perfect niche for the wet bar located in the dining room, which is in between the kitchen and living room in their semi-open floor plan.  We wanted to make it appear as if it was always there.  The cabinets were all custom built and stained with a special ebony blend to match their current Wenge furniture.  The upper cabinets feature sliding pocket doors to tuck out of the way when they are open.  These upper cabinets house all the stemware, as well as bottles that are to be stored at room temperature.  We added a floating soffit to make the entire piece look much more integrated.  We kept it slightly off the ceiling to give a nice shadow line.  The soffit also houses recessed lights on dimmers that accentuate the counter and glass shelves.

The stone we used is a gorgeous variety of CaesarStone called Misty Carrera.  This stone makes up the countertop, which then wraps around to cover the side as well.  The solid Misty Carrera backsplash between the dark upper cabinets contrasts perfectly.  The stone was also used to create an integrated sink.  The German made Dornbracht faucet's sleek lines, play well off the geometry of the overall wet bar.

Below the counter is where all the precious wines and beverages are stored and displayed.  We used top of the line Marvel, Chateau Collection appliances.  They feature custom wood frames to match the cabinetry with a full, insulated glass door.  It also features full extension glides for each shelf, interior lighting, and hidden controls within.  You can also adjust the temperature between 40F and 65F, depending on the beverages you are storing.  The one Marvel unit houses 54 wine bottles, while the other can store up to 14 wine bottles and 114 cans.

Below you can find a before picture and a few after the project was completed.  More photos of the wet bar, as well as the fireplace can be found in the "Phoenixville Living" album on the right.  If you would like Rissay to help prepare your home for better entertainment, feel free to call us at 215-713-0750 or e-mail [email protected]

Time To Warm Up Your Fireplace

If you haven't realized by now, Rissay can do pretty much any project from smaller, custom focal pieces to full, all out renovations.  Recently a client of ours wanted to improve upon their main living space with a much more revamped fireplace.  The fireplace is the main focal point of the room and is also the first impression when you step foot in their home.  The old one was just your typical builder grade/ Toll Brothers wood mantle with dentil molding. It had no character to it, no wow factor, and was the same as all of their other neighbors.

We removed the old "traditional" surround and mantle, and replaced it with a more modern, sleek black absolute granite with a honed finished.  The same gorgeous stone was used for a flush hearth.  We also created a 3" mantle ledge with the black absolute granite to provide a transition to the art above, as well as provide space for candles, decorations, etc. Above the new stone surround and mantle, we built out the wall to continue the lines of the fireplace all the way to the ceiling.  This helps to further emphasize the importance of the fireplace, as well as provide a niche for the new feature art piece.  The piece is an "Iconic Panel" by B&N Industries. It is quite a piece and sure to make a statement at 4 feet wide and 8 feet tall.  Of course with any new wall feature, you have to have recessed lights, which further makes the Iconic Panel and fireplace the focal point of the living room.

The fireplace was not the only improvement to the living space though.  We also made and installed a custom wine bar for the client to further enjoy the space.  The wine bar will be featured in our next blog, so be sure to come back to check it out.